To help you get the most from your WUSS experience, we’re pleased to offer papers, presentations, demonstrations, and interactive discussions in ten different academic sections this year. These sections provide a framework for organizing and navigating the huge variety of content available at WUSS. Whether you are a seasoned expert or brand new to SAS, working in industry, business, or academia, there’s something for everyone at WUSS 2025!
Click each section name below to view a full description.
The AI, Analytics, and Statistics section highlights new and emerging approaches to artificial intelligence (AI), statistical modeling, and data analysis across industries. We're seeking presentations that demonstrate how programming languages such as Python, R, SAS, Julia, and other platforms are used to drive analytics — including predictive modeling, data mining, forecasting, causal inference, and modern statistical methods. Submissions showcasing innovative techniques, reproducible workflows, and real-world applications are especially encouraged. If you're using software or code to push the boundaries of what's possible in data analytics, this is your stage.
The Anything Data section includes interesting topics and techniques that apply to data, big and small. Popular topics include data literacy, data import, structured and unstructured data, exploratory data analysis (EDA), data cleaning and data management, data transformation, handling missing data, data imputation techniques, anomaly detection, effective data communication, data and data structures, and data analysis.
The Basics and Beyond section includes a broad spectrum of topics that address the use of SAS, SQL, Python, R, database systems, cloud-computing, and other 21st-century software and tools to provide a practical understanding of key software features, strategies and techniques to solve important problems, and provide a deeper dive into the application of novel and important programming techniques. Popular presentation topics include using integrated development environments (IDEs), PROC SQL, PROC REPORT, SAS functions, DATA step programming techniques, macro programming techniques, integration of SAS and open-source platforms such as Python and R, SAS / SQL / Python / R basics, procedures and libraries for data science, file handling techniques, conditional processing, array processing, data-driven techniques, and other interesting topics.
The Careers and Professional Development section includes interesting issues facing programmers, data analysts, statisticians, data scientists, consultants, contractors, front-line management, and executives in organizations. Popular topics include presentations that emphasize career development, work-life balance, industry trends, hard skills versus soft skills, communication skills, team leadership and mentorship, consulting and contracting, networking techniques, training and education, global team management, and other relevant subjects that impact organizations in the 21st-century economy.
Hands-On Workshops (HOWs) explore topics that fit into a 90-minute window. Topics and presentations must include “live coding” opportunities (e.g., example code that attendees can modify and execute to explore the behavior of certain coding elements). HOW instructors should plan to provide exercises and/or activities for attendees to work with on their own device.
Masterpiece Theater highlights applied innovation in open-source tools, programming languages, databases, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML). In these 10- and 20-minute demo sessions, speakers share practical solutions and insights into real-world data challenges using technologies such as SAS, Python, R, SQL, NoSQL, APIs, and other leading programming environments. Presentations may include a combination of slides, visuals, applications, step-by-step video, and demonstrations to showcase techniques and workflows. Topics focus on how big data, open-source platforms, machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), analytics, and databases are transforming industry and research. Hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and applications present actionable techniques, best practices, quick tips, and creative applications to demonstrate the power of programming, open-source software and tools, SAS, AI, ML, and data science to solve complex, modern challenges. SAS Super Demos (“live” demonstrations of popular SAS products, topics, and techniques by SAS Staff) will be included in Masterpiece Theater Demos.
The Open-Source Solutions section explores powerful open-source software, tools, libraries, and solutions to showcase the features and application of open-source technologies. Popular topics highlight the advantages of using open-source technologies such as Python and R, best practice open-source strategies, their flexibility, corporate and community support, libraries, open-source frameworks and tools that enhance productivity, machine learning frameworks and algorithms, open-source projects to watch in 2025 and beyond, Kubernetes and containerization strategies, and other topics.
The Pharma and Healthcare section focuses on the application of software and solutions in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Attendees learn the latest best practices for analyzing clinical trial data, developing predictive models for patient outcomes, and improving healthcare operations. Popular topics include statistical programming techniques, clinical trial design, drug safety monitoring, real-world evidence analysis, epidemiology, health analytics, and automation.
The Solutions Development section explores the development, exploration, and demonstration of programs, system utilities, integration and productivity tools designed to assist users, clients, management, and organizations access, process, and manage data, analytics, and deliverables. Popular topics include analytics, business intelligence, data-driven decision making, reporting, visualization, and dashboarding utilizing any programming language (e.g., SAS, SQL, Python, R, database systems, cloud-computing, and others).